Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy

The United States has repeatedly asserted its right to intervene militarily against "failed states" around the globe. In this much-anticipated sequel to his international best seller Hegemony or Survival, Noam Chomsky turns the tables, charging the United States with being a "failed state", and therefore a danger to its own people and the world.

The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty

Conventional wisdom holds that to increase loyalty, companies must "delight" customers by exceeding service expectations. Some focus on dazzling them at the cost of neglecting to solve basic service problems - a big strategic mistake. Through extensive research and surveys, the authors have concluded that loyalty has much more to do with how well a company delivers on its basic promises than on how dazzling its service experience might be.

While I thought the narrator made this title hard to listen to as he sounded so robotic, I must admit - I was blown away by the material. (That said - the narrator does get better as the book goes on.) Overall - this is an excellent book, it's very educational and anyone working in customer service needs to read/listen to this twice!

Is the Dude a bowling-loving stoner or a philosophical genius living the good life? Naturally, it's the latter, and The Big Lebowski and Philosophy explains why. Enlisting the help of great thinkers like Plato and Nietzsche, the book explores the movie's hidden philosophical layers, cultural reflection, and political commentary. It also answers key questions, including: The Dude abides, but is abiding a virtue? Is the Dude an Americanized version of the Taoist way of life? How does The Big Lebowski illustrate the Just War Theory?

So the book isn't that good BUT hearing all of the funny quotes from one of the funniest movies of all time makes it completely worth it. Some interesting perspectives here and there as well - and the narrator is good too. Now that I'm done writing this, I think I'll go watch the movie again!

The Kite Runner

Why we think it’s a great listen: Never before has an author’s narration of his fiction been so important to fully grasping the book’s impact and global implications. Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of its monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them.

After hearing about how great this book was, I decided to give it a chance and found that this book was completely not what I was expecting. Yet, I still thought this was a really good listen. The author, who is also the narrator, does a terrific job with the narration. He is also an excellent writer as this book was creative and well-written. It takes the reader/listener on a roller coaster ride of emotions and I couldn't get enough of it. Two thumbs up!!

The Making of Slap Shot: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Hockey Movie Ever Made

Even 30-odd years after Slap Shot's release, diehard hockey fans can still recite scenes of dialogue by heart, making lines like "putting on the foil" just common argot for the devoted. Yet many may be surprised to learn that the true story behind the making of the film is as captivating as the film itself. In The Making of Slap Shot, veteran sports writer Jonathon Jackson lets fans not only relive just how the film was made, but brings to light surprising facts (i.e., Al Pacino was the first choice for the role of Reggie Dunlop.

I love the movie (not the sequels) and I love hockey so, naturally I picked this title up immediately and couldn't have been more pleased. A great behind the scenes look into one of my favorite movies. Excellent narrator too. Stop reading this and just purchase it already!!! If you liked the movie then you will not be disappointed!!!

A Season in Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One, and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season

Twenty years after the fact, the mere mention of the 1992-93 NHL season brings back vivid memories for hockey fans across North America. The last time that the Montreal Canadiens hoisted the Stanley Cup, Wayne Gretzky's last appearance in a playoff final, and Mario Lemieux's most inspirational season, these years are rightly considered some of the greatest in NHL history. Now, in A Season in Time, acclaimed hockey writer Todd Denault looks back to those heady days.

I thought this book was great. Such a fun listen about an excellent time for the sport I love. Listening about Gretzky, Doug Gilmour, Grant Fuhr, Mario and all the other players I grew up watching and loving was incredible. That said, the narrator had a great storytelling voice but I'm not sure he was able to pronounce one name correctly, which is really annoying.

Patient Zero: The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 1

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there’s either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills - and there’s nothing wrong with Joe Ledger’s skills. And that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because he’s a Baltimore detective who has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new task force created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can’t handle....

I'm not too into zombie stories but this one had an interesting twist in the reasons why. I won't be continuing on with this series but I will listen to a few of the Walking Dead audio books to see how they compare. Also, the narrator for this book is excellent, one of the best I've ever listened to at Audible and I will certainly look into other books he did.

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat

Since prehistory, humans have braved the business ends of knives, scrapers, and mashers, all in the name of creating something delicious - or at least edible. In Consider the Fork, award-winning food writer and historian Bee Wilson traces the ancient lineage of our modern culinary tools, revealing the startling history of objects we often take for granted. Charting the evolution of technologies from the knife and fork to the gas range and the sous-vide cooker, Wilson offers unprecedented insights.

Don't get me wrong this book had some interesting facts and in particular I really enjoyed the second half and listening to the parts about the history of forks and even sporks was great. I also liked the part about the history of ice and the element of science into cooking and how the kitchen has developed over the years. Other than that though, I’m sad to say that this book really bored me, especially the first part. The narrator, a British woman, was also to my disliking as I found her accent adding to the boredom that I got from the material itself.

The Game: 20th Anniversary Edition

Widely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written and lauded by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of All Time, The Game is a reflective and thought-provoking look at a life in hockey. Intelligent and insightful, former Montreal Canadiens goalie and former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans.

Excellent book for hockey lovers! Personally, I love the sport, and I know a lot about this specific era, so for me it was worth it. I especially loved the second part of the book while the part on the history and on the evolution of the rules for the game was excellent. The different strategies in comparing Canadian hockey versus the Russians' style of play was also great. However, if you aren’t a fan of Dryden or if you aren’t old enough to know about the players during his era that he discusses you may find this listen a little boring as Dryden is somewhat dry as a narrator. Nevertheless, I loved the book and was left wanting to hear more!

Joyland

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. Joyland is a brand-new novel and has never previously been published.

Good story, great narrator, sad ending… Stephen King does it again. And for me personally the story really hit home. Took place in the 70s, my favorite era... I can’t think of one other book that mentions my favorite athlete of all time - Larry Csonka and my favorite game – scrabble; while also referencing New Jersey and Carney from Kearny, which just happens to be my home town!

The Hunger Games

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Loved the movie and loved the audiobook just as much. While I didn’t like the narrator at first, she did grow on me as the book went on. Overall, great story, very creative and just a fun, exciting listen. Can’t wait to listen to the other two books in the trilogy!

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